


Love of the Game

by celli



Series: Intern [2]
Category: Smallville, Sports Night
Genre: Crossover, F/M, First Kiss, Workplace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-08-09
Updated: 2005-08-09
Packaged: 2017-10-18 05:33:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/185558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celli/pseuds/celli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The worlds of Chloe Sullivan and Charlie McCall continue to collide.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love of the Game

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/butterflykiki/profile)[**butterflykiki**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/butterflykiki/) for the beta, and blessings upon [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/out_there/profile)[**out_there**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/out_there/) for catching a really funny typo. Special thanks to [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/svmadelyn/profile)[**svmadelyn**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/svmadelyn/); this is the second of three stories I wrote for the [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/wip_it_good/profile)[**wip_it_good**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/wip_it_good/) challenge and it would probably not have been finished otherwise.

Chloe learned a lot more about sports than she wanted being friends with Charlie. ("Yes, friends. Having lunch with a guy every day is hardly a date. Shut up, Pete.") She learned less than she wanted about Charlie, though. Somewhere in the jumble of hockey, football, and NASCAR she managed to pick up that he'd been born in Texas but considered himself a New Yorker through and through; that he didn't like horror movies but had read every Steven King novel; and that he had no illusions about being a nerd, albeit a sports one. She was pretty sure he enjoyed it.

He did mention his dad quite a bit. It was obvious that Mr. McCall had been responsible for Charlie's love of anything athletic. From the little stories Charlie told, Chloe got a picture of a guy who had the world history of sports stored in his head, who was very smart but not always on the ball, and who was not by any stretch of the imagination a cool dad. Charlie seemed oddly proud of that fact.

So it was a bit of a surprise for her to flip to CSC one night (thinking vaguely about watching a horse race or something and surprising Charlie with her knowledge the next day) and find a gorgeous, well-dressed man smiling Charlie's smile at her and saying, "I'm Casey McCall alongside Dan Rydell, and you're watching Sports Night."

She had the phone in her hand and was dialing before she even realized it. "Charlie," she said before he even got a greeting out, "is there something you wanted to tell me? Something that airs nightly on cable, maybe?"

Pause. "Oh, did my episode of Red Shoe Diaries finally air?"

"Ha. Spill, McCall."

***

"So your dad's a celebrity," Chloe said at the doorway to the cafeteria.

"I wouldn't say that exactly."

She fixed him with a look. "Clark knew who he was."

"Clark, the guy who--"

"Was traumatized in his youth and hates all sports, yes."

"Huh. Maybe he is a celebrity."

They made their way through the line. "So why didn't you tell me about him?"

"I did. Chloe, you have to start eating chicken again sometime."

"I really don't. And you did not tell me about him."

"I told you all the important things. I just didn't tell you what he did for a living."

"This is, like, bizarre Charlie logic and I don't get it, but okay."

She waited until they grabbed their usual table before she pounced. "So now that you're dad's out of the TV personality closet--" Charlie choked on his iced tea. "--tell me all the stuff you've been leaving out."

He laughed, and then launched into an animated discourse on sports, sports television, sports anchors on sports television, and the general coolness of his dad the sports anchor on sports television. Chloe learned all about Casey-McCall-alongside-Dan-Rydell. She also learned about Dan, who Charlie talked about like a big brother, and a whole bunch of other people she was sure she wouldn't be able to keep straight.

"Sounds amazing," she said. "How come you're not interning there instead of here?"

"Dana offered," he said. "But I had to apply for this one, you know?"

"You wanted to be considered on your own merits."

Charlie nodded.

"That's cool," Chloe said, and she was pretty sure he blushed.

***

"I don't believe this," Charlie said for approximately the thirteenth time.

"I know." Chloe turned her attention from the pregame show. Charlie on a sports high was much more fun than any marching band.

"Do you believe this?" He was bouncing in his seat. Bouncing. "The owner's box. The owner's box. I don't believe this!"

Chloe was about to say something genially mocking when Charlie leaned over, grabbed her by the shoulders, and kissed her.

"I love football," she said dazedly when he let her go.

"The game hasn't even started yet."

"Your point?"

"I see you're enjoying the seats," someone said from behind them, and Charlie jumped.

"The man with the perfect timing is Lex Luthor," she said. Charlie's eyes went wide. "Lex, this is Charlie McCall."

Charlie stumbled over his chair standing up, but to his credit he met Lex's eyes squarely. "It's a pleasure. Thank you for the seats."

"You're welcome. Are you a Sharks fan, Charlie?"

"I was born a Cowboys fan," Charlie said, "but I enjoy the Sharks. Especially this season. Perry's bounced back really well from that--" His eyes flickered toward Chloe. "That injury."

Chloe tried not to smirk. Like she'd never heard the word "groin" before. She watched the two of them talk. Lex was obviously taking Charlie's measure, but she couldn't tell from the look on his face if it was good or not. Charlie, on the other hand, was shifting his weight slightly, but otherwise behaving as though this were any normal conversation. Points for Charlie. In fact, things were going rather well--

\--until the gun-wielding maniac barged in and started shooting at the three of them.

***

"So you're saying the gun just happened to overheat and fall out of his hand?"

"Yeah," Chloe said.

Lex pressed the icepack harder against the lump in his skull. "It does happen."

Charlie looked very confused. "It does?"

Both Lex and Chloe shrugged.

There was a cheer from the field, and Charlie jumped. "You two are taking this all in stride."

"He's not from around here, is he?" Lex asked.

Charlie gave them another bewildered look, and Chloe had to laugh. She should take him to Smallville some time and show him how craziness was really done.

There was a commotion behind them, and Lex motioned to the security guards. Two men came rushing through.

"Dad!" Charlie was on his feet instantly--it was the first time he'd let go of Chloe's hand since everything started--and threw his arms around his father. "Dad, it's okay, I'm okay."

"I know," Mr. McCall said, but he didn't let go.

The man behind him, who Chloe recognized as Dan Rydell, clapped Charlie on the back and then looked around him. "You must be Chloe."

She nodded and stood. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Rydell," she said, holding her hand out.

He took it only to pull her into a hug. "We've known Charlie longer, you understand, but we're glad you're all right, too."

"Thank you." Chloe was surprised to find tears in her eyes. She gave in to the urge to lean against him for a minute.

"You didn't tell Mom, right?" Charlie was asking his dad.

"No, but you need to. You don't want her hearing about it from a news story."

"She didn't know I was coming today."

"Charles," Mr. Rydell said, "Never underestimate your mother's ability to know everything."

Chloe pulled back and swiped a hand under her eyes. "Charles?" she whispered to Mr. Rydell.

He winked down at her.

Charlie looked back at them. "Oh, damn--I mean--Chloe, this is my dad. Dad, this is Chloe Sullivan."

"It's very nice to meet you, Chloe." Charlie's dad was just as cute in person. Cuter, really, because his eyes didn't crinkle like that when he smiled on television. "I might have wished for better circumstances, but it's still a pleasure."

"Thank you." She was half relieved and half disappointed when he didn't hug her, too.

"Isn't your family here?"

She shook her head, but before she had to say anything, Lex insinuated himself into their group. "Mr. McCall, I want to extend my sincerest apologies. Your son should have been safe here."

Mr. Rydell said, "These things happen."

"So I hear," Charlie muttered.

Mr. McCall didn't look quite as convinced, but he smiled politely. "I'm sure this was an isolated incident. And we do appreciate your help in getting us here so quickly."

Charlie blinked. "How did you get here so fast?"

Mr. Rydell leaned across Chloe and stage-whispered, "On a really neat jet."

"Whoa. Cool!"

Mr. McCall loosened up enough to grin at Charlie, and the two of them looked unnervingly alike in their glee. "It kind of was."

"You're welcome to stay as long as you like," Lex said. "The jet--and anything else LuthorCorp can provide--are at your disposal."

"Who's doing the show?" Charlie asked.

"Peter and Paul," his dad said.

"What? Dad, you have to go back."

"They'll be fine."

Mr. Rydell and Charlie both snorted in exactly the same way. Chloe giggled.

Lex, of course, had an answer for everything. "Charlie, why don't you go back with them? I'm sure the Planet will give you a day off, considering the circumstances." That meant he knew who to call over there. "You can talk to your mother in person and spend a little more time with your family."

"But--" Charlie looked over at Chloe.

And that was how she left her apartment for a football game in the morning and ended up on a jet to New York in the afternoon.

***

Charlie and Chloe stepped through the doors and into insanity. There were three people in a corner arguing over a videotape, a blonde woman on her knees looking under a desk, and Mr. Rydell was standing on a chair, shouting "Casey!" at the top of his lungs.

"Whoa. It's like press time," she said.

"Yeah. *All* the time." Charlie guided them both through the chaos with practiced ease. "Kim, what're you doing?" he called into the videotape argument.

"Trying to convince these mental midgets to see the light," said a woman who reminded Chloe strongly of an older, bustier Lana. She waggled the videotape. "Greatest Hits of Nancy Lieberman-Cline, a.k.a. Lady Magic. Played in the 1976 Olympics, led Old Dominion to three national championships, played men's pro basketball--"

"Walked on water..." the heavyset guy behind her interjected. Then he grunted as she jabbed her elbow back at him.

"She's a coach now, and she'd be a great subject for a feature. If these guys would just *look.*"

"Guys, watch the tape," Charlie said. Kim beamed at him. "You know she'll just pester you until you do."

"Hey!"

"Charlie!" The blonde woman pulled herself out from under the desk and hurried over, smiling brightly. "Hey, it's good to see you, sweetie." Chloe saw the tears in her eyes as she hugged Charlie, but she blinked them away before he saw them. "You sure know how to spice up a football game, don't you?"

Charlie rested his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry I worried you, Dana."

"Who said--?"

"You're looking for your shoes again, aren't you?"

Dana laughed. "You know me too well, Charlie McCall." She framed his face with her hands. "Yes, all right, you scared me. Don't do it again."

"Yes ma'am," he said solemnly.

"Casey!" Mr. Rydell bellowed.

"Charlie, will you do me a favor and find your father before I'm forced to kill Dan?"

"I don't know," Charlie said. "Would you kill him entertainingly?"

"I heard that. Don't think I didn't. CASEY!"

"Fine, fine, fine." Charlie started to lead Chloe off, but Dana waved her hand between them.

"Chloe can stay here. She'll be fine."

Charlie just looked at her.

"Don't you look at me with that tone of voice, young man. The sooner you get your dad, the less time I'll have to torture your girl. Go." Charlie left, reluctantly.

Chloe wondered if she should just run now. "I'm not--we're not--I mean, I'm just his friend."

"Are you sure?"

Chloe thought about it. Then she said, "um." Then she thought about it some more.

Dana patted her back. "Dating McCall men does have that effect, sometimes." Whoa, that was a story Charlie hadn't told her.

"Casey!" Mr. Rydell yelled again, and there was a faint response from elsewhere in the room.

"Oh, thank God," Dana said. As Chloe craned her neck, looking for Charlie, Dana added quickly, "And you've probably already figured this out, but everyone in this room loves Charlie and if you mess with him we'll find a way to humiliate you on national television."

Chloe suddenly felt like screaming for Mr. McCall herself.

***

An hour before midnight, the volume in the newsroom had doubled, Dana had lost her shoes for good, and Charlie's dad and Mr. Rydell were in their office, under orders to "not come out before you finish the forties, or I will end your miserable anchorly existence, I swear to God, you two, do you hear me?"

Charlie grabbed Chloe's hand. "Come here," he said quietly--at least she thought he was quiet, she could hardly hear him over some shouting from Kim. He pulled her into the room where they'd done the rundown thing earlier and closed the door.

"Oh, wow," Chloe said as the sound dropped to a hush. "I can hear myself think again."

Charlie laughed. "Crazy, isn't it? They used to stash me in here when I was a kid. I could see everything going on, but there was a much smaller chance that someone would accidentally squish me. I did so many hours of homework at that table."

"You really can see everything." Beyond the frosted glass door, Dana was gesturing wildly, someone had just dropped a huge stack of papers and everyone nearby was scrambling to collect them, and in their office, Mr. Rydell had just thrown a pencil at Mr. McCall. Chloe giggled.

"Welcome to my world." Charlie stood behind her and watched over the top of her head.

Chloe tried not to notice that he was standing right behind her. "I like it a lot," she said, and when he laughed and hugged her from behind, she gave up on playing it cool and just grinned.

"I've known these people over half my life, some of them. It's not exactly the same as when I was younger. Isaac mostly retired a while back, and Natalie and Jeremy left so she could do her own show on FOX Sports--I should call her, you'd love Natalie, you guys are probably related somehow. But Dana's been yelling and Dan and my dad have been, well, acting like that" (they were arguing now, with Mr. McCall's hands moving in demonstrative circles and Mr. Rydell making faces at him) "as long as I can remember."

"It's amazing. I'm so glad I got to see it."

"I'm glad you wanted to see it," Charlie said. Chloe turned to look up at him. If she'd looked back out the door, she would have noticed Dana pressing her fingers to her lips and blinking hard, or Mr. McCall's shocked expression, or Mr. Rydell's proud grin. But Charlie kissing her was much more interesting than any of those things, and she didn't bother to look.


End file.
